PM Nawaz, COAS Raheel to visit Saudia, Iran together

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif will visit Saudi Arabia and Iran in attempt to defuse the rift between the two countries, private media reported.

The prime minister and the army chief will land Saudi Arabia on coming Monday , 18 Jan, and Iran on next day.

Reports said that Pakistan will try to mediate between both countries.

Tension between both countries peaked when Saudi Arabia carried out executions including shia leader and activist Nimr-Al Nimar and in response over the execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimar al-Nimr on Saturday along with 46 others, angry crowds in Iran in a protest set fire Saudi Embassy in Tehran. The official spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Hussain Jabar Ansari warned the Saudi Arabia of divine revenge.

On the other side, Saudi government stated that the reaction of Iranian government will be considered as an intervention in internal affairs of Saudi Arabia. An Iraqi lawmaker, Haitham Al-Jubouri has declared it the beginning of the end of the royal family of Saudi. “This move came ignite sectarian strife in the region and the world as well”, he added.